Teaching 21st Century Skills: Oxford Discover Sample Lesson Level 3 (Part 1)

Summary

In this educational video, Charles Vina introduces a lesson on the importance of plants using a sunflower named Fred as a teaching tool. The lesson aims to engage students by exploring what they already know about plants and what they wish to learn. Through interactive activities, students discover similarities and differences between plants and animals, such as both being alive, growing, and needing water, while plants make their own food and oxygen. The session emphasizes the significance of plants, like Fred, to our ecosystem.

Takeaways

• 🌱 The lesson introduces a unit from the Oxford Discover student book focusing on plants and their importance.
• 🌼 The teacher uses a sunflower named Fred to engage students and explore the topic of plants.
• 📚 The purpose of the lesson is to focus students on the subject, discover their existing knowledge, and identify what they wish to learn more about.
• 🌞 Sunflowers are highlighted for their unique ability to follow the sun, a phenomenon that will be explained further in the lesson.
• 🥜 Sunflower seeds are edible and are a part of the plant that students can consume, unlike the flower itself.
• 🐕 Fred the sunflower is personified as a pet, emphasizing the teacher's unique connection to the plant and its role in the lesson.
• 📊 A V-diagram is used as a tool to compare and contrast plants and animals, focusing on their similarities and differences.
• 🌿 Both plants and animals are alive, grow, drink water, and can 'feel', according to the students' observations.
• 🏃‍♂️ A key difference highlighted is that animals can move while plants are stationary, with the exception of vines that can grow towards light.
• 🍃 Plants are capable of producing their own food through photosynthesis, unlike animals that need to consume food.
• 🌬️ Plants produce oxygen, which is essential for life, while animals produce carbon dioxide as a byproduct of respiration.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the lesson introduced by Charles Vina?

The main topic of the lesson is to discuss plants and why they are important.

What is the purpose of the lesson according to the script?

The purpose of the lesson is to get students focused on the topic, to find out what they know about plants, and to discover what they want to know so it can be explored further.

What is the name of the sunflower Charles Vina brought to the class?

The sunflower Charles Vina brought to the class is named Fred.

Why do sunflowers follow the Sun, according to the lesson?

The lesson mentions that sunflowers follow the Sun, but the exact reason why they do so is not detailed in the script.

Which part of the sunflower is edible according to the script?

The seeds of the sunflower are edible.

What is the purpose of the V diagram activity in the lesson?

The V diagram activity is used to explore the similarities and differences between plants and animals.

What are some ways plants and animals are the same according to the students in the script?

According to the students, plants and animals are both alive, they both grow, they both drink water, and they both feel.

What are some ways plants and animals are different according to the students in the script?

According to the students, plants and animals are different because animals can move while plants cannot, plants make their own food while animals need to find or consume food, and plants make oxygen while animals do not.

What is the significance of the sunflower Fred to Charles Vina, as mentioned in the script?

Fred, the sunflower, is significant to Charles Vina as he considers it his pet, which allows him to have a plant companion that he can 'walk', 'talk to', and 'read stories to'.

What is the final focus of the lesson after the discussion about plants and animals?

The final focus of the lesson is on plants, discussing their characteristics and why they are important.